The Greatest Templar
by Cyberweasel89
Summary: DQ8 Follow the only female Templar on a quest to prove herself, along with her odd crew of misfit Templar friends.
1. Prologue: An Orphan with a Sword

**The Greatest Templar**

By Cyberweasel89

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, nor do I own it's characters. Square Enix does, though. However, I do own any original characters that appear in this fanfic. These characters belong to me and may not be used without permission.

Rated PG-13 (a.k.a. T) just in case, as I'm not sure where I'll be going with this.

Summary: Follow the only female Templar on a quest to prove herself, along with her odd crew of misfit Templar friends.

Narration

"Regular speech"

'Whispers'

(Thoughts)

Prologue

An Orphan with a Sword

A lone little girl of eight years walked up the steps of Maella Abbey, earrings shaped like slimes dangling from her ears. She had long, messy brown hair and dark brown eyes with a typical child's build. She was dressed in little more than an oversized, dirty brown T-shirt that went down to her knees.

As she walked up the steps and entered the door, she made her way to the middle of the abbey, where the fountain was. She was greeted there by a tall man of about 25 with short, messy orange hair sticking out from under the helmet he was wearing. The helmet itself was brown, covering his entire head but leaving an empty space for his eyes, nose, and mouth. On top of the helmet was a roman-style mowawk of orange bristles. Though it may have been amusing to assume that the mohawk of the helmet was the man's actual hair, the hair sticking out from under the helmet was a darker shade of orange than the helmet's bristles. He had a mustache of the same orange color as his hair, as well as tanned skin, and yellow eyes. He was dressed in a blue templar's uniform, a Templar Captain's Ring on the index finger of his right hand. The Templar Captain's Ring was golden in color, except for the insignia, which was blue with the image of a gold rosary. An actual gold rosary hung from his neck. On his back was a very sharp looking, and very shiny looking, double-bladed battle axe, with somewhat of a spear-shape on the pole between the two blades, though not sticking out far enough to allow the axe to be used for thrusting. Also strapped to his back was a shield shaped like a square with the sides curving inward. There were four more sides on the shield where the corners would normally be, making eigth corner and eight sides. On each corner side were three small spikes. The border was a shiny steel color, but the area of the shield inside the border was a dark orange, and making an angry face with markings on the chin and above the eyes. He approached the little girl and knelt down to her level.

"Hello, little girl. Are you here with anyone?" he asked her gently.

"No. My house burned down. My mum and dad are gone." the girl replied shyly.

An old man of about 66 walked in from a nearby door. He was tall with some weight put on from age. His hair was white, straight, and long. His skin was pale, his eyes kind and blue. He was dressed in a robe that was a light violet color, except for the border at the bottom of the gown, the border of the sleeves, and the border of the collar, which were all a darker violet. On the chest was an odd golden symbol, with a blue stone set into it. On his head was a tall cleric's hat, and a Gold Rosary dangled from his neck. He walked up behind the Templar Captain.

"Hello Captain Marco. Who might this be?" The old man asked the Templar Captain.

"Greetings, Abbot Kukule. It seems that she is an orphan." Captain Marco bowed to the old man.

The abbot's blue eyes seemed to be piercing right through the little girl's body and peering into her soul. His serious face rose into a kind smile.

"Well, then she's welcome to stay here. It must've been a dangerous trek all the way here from your home."

"Not really. I managed to fight off all the monsters." The girl smiled.

"Really? With what?" Captain Marco asked.

"With this."

The girl showed them a smooth wooden stick with a round knob at the end. There was gauss wrapped around the area above the knob. Her hand gripped the bandaged area like a handle.

"You fought off the monsters with a Cypress Stick?" Captain Marco asked in disbelief.

"Hmm..." The Abbot mumbled.

"Abbot Kukule, I don't like that look in your eyes." Captain Marco sputtered nervously.

"Captain Marco, prepare an area for battle. Also, grab one of the Templars and a standard issue Templar's Sword. I've got an idea."

Abbot Kukule walked off, a glint in his eye.

The open space in the back near the bridge to the Abbot's residence was cleared of people for the battle. A Templar stood at the ready with a sword. The little girl stood there as well, having been given a Templar's Sword as well. Captain Marco stood at the sidelines with Abbot Kukule.

"Abbot Kukule, are you sure this is okay? Not only is she a child, she is a girl! She is not fit to battle one of the Templars." Marco whispered to Abbot Kukule.

"Not to worry. You will see for your own eyes what I have in mind." About Kukule smiled.

"Go!" shouted Captain Marco.

The Templar rushed at the little girl, who quickly raised up her sword to block the attack. For a while, they exchanged blows, blocking and attacking, until finally the little girl was knocked over, her sword flying through the air and sticking into the ground a few feet away.

"Enough!" called the Abbot. He turned to Marco. "There, do you see, Marco?" The Abbot asked.

"See? See what? She lost!" Marco exclaimed.

"Yes, she may have lost, but she faired extremely well against a Templar." The abbot stated.

He walked toward the little girl, Marco following. The little girl had gotten up and was dusting herself off.

"Little girl, what is your name?" asked the Abbot.

"Emily." The girl replied.

"Well, Emily, do you have any experience with a sword?" the abbot asked.

"No, sir, I don't." Emily replied shyly.

"Hmm... Wait here a moment."

The abbot left and went into his residence. For a few minutes, Emily stood uneasily as Captain Marco seemed to be glaring at her. The abbot soon returned with a dark-gray sword with runes carved into the blade and a blue hilt. He handed it to Emily, who immediately fell under it's weight.

"Marco, see to it that this girl is made a Templar. Have her trained to use that sword by our finest sword-wielding Templar." The abbot told Marco.

"Where did you get a Bastard Sword, sir?" Marco asked in disbelief.

"I had it hidden under my bed." The Abbot smiled.

"But she can't even hold up that sword!" Marco exclaimed. He pointed to Emily, who was struggling to lift the sword off the ground.

"But she can be trained to." Abbot Kukule said, still smiling.

"But we can't make her a Templar! She is a girl! All the Templars are male!" Marco exclaimed.

"Then we must make an exception. She shows great talent with a sword. We can't let that talent go to waste. Now go sign the papers to make her a Templar-in-Training. I order it, Captain Marco. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off. I have matters to attend to."

The Abbot slowly walked off back to his residence. Once the Abbot was out of view, Marco turned his head to glare at Emily.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?" Emily asked, confusion in her voice.

Marco pointed a finger at Emily.

"Listen here, girl, the Templars are a noble class of holy knights, their sworn duty is to protect the church. They are men among men. I won't have some _girl_ messing up _my_ Templars! Got that?" Captain Marco poked Emily on the forehead.

Emily didn't like the emphasis that Marco put on "girl" and "my". She rubbed her forehead from the hard poke.

"Um... I don't see what your problem is with me, Mister Marco, sir." Emily said innocently.

"That's "Captain Marco" to you! And the _problem_ I have with you is that the Abbot is making special rules to allow some _girl_ to become a Templar! Women aren't fit to be Templar Knights. Women aren't fit for combat of any kind!"

Captain Marco stormed off in a huff, leaving Emily standing there, dumbfounded.

End Prologue


	2. Chapter 1: Meet the Crew

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and all it's characters are owned by Square Enix, not me. However, I DO own all of the many original characters that appear in this fic. Those characters may not be used without my permission.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

The Greatest Templar

by Cyberweasel89

Chapter 1

Meet the Crew

Emily's Narrations

13 years have passed since I arrived at the abbey and was immediately made a Templar. Do the math, and I'm now 21. That makes Abbot Kukule 79, and Captain Marco 38. Abbot Kukule hasn't aged a bit, but Captain Marco has gotten a few wrinkles and put on a little bit of weight. Of course, I'd never dare say anything about it.

As I was raised as a Templar, I was taught to use a sword by the best sword-wielding templar, Gerik. Through the years of my stay, I've trained enough to be able to lift the bastard sword very easily, much to Captain Marco's surprise. During my 13 years here, Captain Marco has insisted, and made sure, that I was treated no different than the other, male, Templars. I was given the same blue templar uniform, silver rosary, and Templar's ring as them, had to sleep in the same room as them, eat with them, and train with them. Captain Marco even, at one point, insisted that I bathe with them, but luckily, Abbot Kukule managed to step in and make sure this didn't happen.

I'm not much of a looker. I have long brown hair that goes down to below my shoulder blades. My eyes are about the same shade of dark brown as my hair. I'm skinny, with a light skin tone and a bit of muscle from the rigorous training, but not too much. My breasts aren't really "big", but I'm not flat, either. Well, not like you can tell my bust size when I'm wearing the Templar uniform. I'm not beautiful, but I'm definitely not ugly. I'm just... really plain. Still, being the only girl here at the Abbey, I used to get quite a few pinches from the other male Templars. That is, until they learned not to mess with me. Now only the most foolish Templars try.

Right now, it's lunchtime at the Abbey. I managed to befriend four Templars here, and I tend to only sit at a table with them.

"H-h-hi, Em! M-mind if I sssssssit with you?

"Mako, you ask me that everyday. Haven't you realized yet that we're all friends?"

That's Makoto, age 20. He's probably the nicest out of my four friends. He's also one of my roommates.

"Heh. Ssssssorry, E-em."

Makoto uses a wooden shortbow. He dresses in the usual blue templar's uniform with a silver rosary and a Templar's ring. The Templar's Ring is standard for all Templars. It's silver in color, except for the insignia, which is a red rosary. Just as I brought my Slime Earrings, the one item that Makoto brought with him was a strange ring with a praying angel on it. He's a little taller than me and, judging by his hands, he's about my complexion. I judge his complexion by his hands because it's hard to see his face clearly. He wears a brown hood made of fur with white, fluffy edges. The hood hides his face in shadows somewhat, and the fact that he's always looking downward helps in shrouding his face in shadows. But I can tell that he has crimson red eyes. I just have no clue what his hair color is.

One day, soon after he came, some of the other Templars were making fun of his severe stutter, and I stood up for him. We've been friends ever since.

"..."

"H-hey, Zal! C-c-c'mon and ssssssit down!"

This next guy is Zalman, age 19. He's an elf, with a mop top of purple hair with a low-set ponytail. Because of his big, thick glasses, I can't tell what his eye color is. His eye level is about equal to my chin, so he's kinda short. He wears a blue templar's uniform with a silver rosary and a Templar's ring. His headgear is a round, blue hat with a point on the top. Hanging from this point is a red tassel. He brought with him to the Abbey a rather strange ring. It's comprised of two thin rings that are connected through a pattern of vines, all gold. There's a green gem set into it, and there are numerous thin little gems hanging from it.

Zalman's a spellcaster, and he fights with a wooden staff with a red orb on top. The red orb looks like it's being held by four clawed fingers. He doesn't talk much. When he does talk, it's in a very quiet voice. He's my other roommate.

I suddenly felt a hand on my butt. I turned around and slugged the guy in the face.

"Ow! You didn't have to hit me that hard! It was just a joke!"

It was Galahad! He's another one of my friends, age 22. He's a big pervert.

"You gotta quit doing that, Gala. It's hazardous to your health." I told him.

Galahad took a seat at the table with Makoto, Zalman, and me.

"Nothing I can't handle." He said blandly.

Galahad is tall and skinny with a light skin tone. My eye level is about equal to his nose. His light blue hair is long and straight, going halfway down his back. His eyes are handsome and a light orange color. I've seen him without his shirt, and he's got some muscle, but still kinda skinny. Like all of us, he wears the standard blue Templar uniform with the templar ring and the silver rosary. But he wears an odd, soft-looking white hat with two green feathers sticking out of the rim, each on opposite sides of the hat. He also has an odd item he brought with him when he first came to the abbey. It's an odd blue ring with gold bordering the rim. In the center is a circle with a gold rosary depicted in it, and a tiny red jewel is set into the side of the ring. I asked him about it once, and he said that it's a "wonderful little trinket" that allows him to "stand in the face of death and laugh," or something. He fights with a brown leather whip.

"Heya, guys."

Ah, yes. That deep, dumbfounded voice is Brogan, age 23. I must tell you, he's not the brightest of the bunch. He fights with a wooden mallet. I guess he knows that he's not very bright, so he chooses to rely on his strength, which is why he chose to work with hammers. Now, I must say that Brogan is perhaps that tallest, burliest guy I've ever met. Galahad's eye level is about equal to the middle of Brogan's neck. His Templar uniform had to be specially tailored to suit his height and muscular physique. He wears an ugly hardhat that looks as if he took a bowl made of stone, tied a string to both ends, and put it on his head. He also has a brown belt with gray pads on the hips and a metal buckle. He says that the belt makes him stronger, or somethin'.

"I couldn't find the table." Brogan stated, taking a seat next to Galahad.

Galahad rolled his eyes. "Brogan, you do know that we eat at this same table every day, right?"

Brogan seemed slightly surprised. "Really? Oh, I guess I'll have to try and remember that."

Over the years, I've changed. No longer am I the shy, innocent little girl that first arrived here. I've been toughened from being a knight, as well as from having to live with an abbey full of men.

The Basement.

I stood there, panting, my sword in my hands with the tip resting on the ground. Gerik stood across from me in the cell, sheathing his sword. He had only barely broken a sweat.

"Very good, Emily. If we continue this training, you shall soon surpass even my skill." he casually stated, examining one of his nails. His voice suddenly went a bit more high-pitched as he said "Ooo... Drat!"

"What... is it?" I asked while trying to catch my breath from the rigorous workout.

"Goddessdarnit, I broke a nail! Ooo... Now I need to give myself another manicure! Fooey." he cleared his throat, his voice returning to the slightly deeper version from before. "Anyway, might as well continue. How about another go, Miss Apprentice." he smirked at me.

"Sure... Just... Gimme some time... To rest." I said through pants.

Before I knew it, his golden-yellow blade was at my neck.

"Hm hm... The enemy would never give you some time to rest. On your feet, soldier." he smirked.

Let me tell you a little about Gerik. He's got long brown hair in a low-set ponytail that goes down to his waist. His eyes are a sky blue color. He's skinny and a little taller than me. My eye level is about at his nose. Of course, he wears a blue templar's uniform complete with templar ring and silver rosary, but he has a yellow bandana worn over his head. He's one of the more... eccentric templars. You might've guessed it by now, but I'll explain later. Lets just say that he's acted as both mentor and mother to me.

I stood up, still breathing a little heavily. Gerik took an idle stance, while I stood with my blade held out in front of me, ready to go on the defensive. At some unseen signal, he lunged at me, striking at my chest. I quickly blocked with my blade, creating the sound of metal striking metal. A few sparks flew as the blades connected. Next, he spun around to strike at my left side (Gerik is left-handed, by the way). I rolled out of the way of his blow. This time I lunged at him, my blade held above and to the side, ready for a downward diagonal slash. He merely sidestepped my strike, then crouched low and spun his legs under mine, knocking me off my feet and onto my rear.

His voice took that high-pitched tone, and he seemed concerned. "Oh my. Are you all right, honey? Oh dear, you seem to have landed on your tushie. I didn't mean to, sweetie." His voice got deep again, this time he sounded serious "At any rate, you don't seem to be in top form right now, Emily."

"That's because I'm exhausted! We've been practicing for three hours straight! And it's almost dinner time!" I cried out from my position on the ground.

His voice went high-pitched again. "Oh dear, I see what you mean, punkin'. Why don't we take a little break for some tea? Would you like that, dear?" he offered a hand to help me up, which I accepted.

"Yes, some tea would be nice. But can I just have some water?" I asked, breathing heavy.

"Of course, honey!" he smiled a loving smile at me.

We sat at the table in the basement. Gerik was quietly sipping a cup of tea with his pinkie finger sticking out, while I guzzled a cup of water. He set his cup down to look at me.

"Dear, you shouldn't drink so fast. You'll get."

"Hiccup!"

"Hiccups..."

"I can't he-hiccup-lp it! I'm dehy-hiccup-drated!" I cried, afterwards returning to drinking my water.

"That aside, I have a question for you..." He cupped his hands beneath his chin, using them for his chin to rest on. "Which of the guys here do you find most attractive?" he was talking like a mother would to their daughter about life issues. Of course, I spewed my water out in a spray at the sudden question.

"What the hell kinda question is that?!" I yelled, surprised and a little angry.

"I'm just wondering. If you do have a crush, I'll bet it's one of your little friends. Which one? C'mon, you can tell me, sweetie! If you're into charm and looks, Galahad is okay. But if you're into muscle, that Brogan guy is a great choice. Then there's Zalman with his quietness and book smarts. And there's Makoto with his adorable stutter and caring personality." he smiled sweetly at me. I just stared at him, my mouth agape.

In case you haven't guessed what's up with Gerik, I'll tell you now. He has multiple personalities. The other templars who don't know him personally have come to refer to his two sides by different names. His motherly girl personality is "Mummy Gerik" and his serious male personality is "Normal Gerik". He seems to switch between the personalities depending on outside factors. Like if something happens to him that a feminine girl would worry about, such as his hair getting messed up or breaking a nail, he'll switch to "Mummy Gerik". Normally, once he's done fussing over the matter, he'll either switch back to "Normal Gerik" or remain "Mummy Gerik" for a while longer. He tends to be in "Mummy Gerik" mode the most when around me and not training, and the other templars say that Mummy Gerik is more motherly to me than the other templars. Despite this dual personality disorder, he's the finest sword-wielder in the abbey.

"Oh, dearie... You know that if you're uncomfortable talking about this with me, you can just tell me when you're ready." he gave me a sweet smile as he said it.

"Um, yes... I feel I should not concern myself with this at the moment. Besides, it's dinnertime." I stated, fidgeting with my fingers.

"Oh, my! It is dinnertime! We better hurry on up, or all the best food'll be gone!"

Gerik stood up, grabbed my hand, and whisked me back up stairs.

Later that night...

I was removing my blue Templar uniform and slipping under the covers. Just in case you forgot, I share a room with Makoto and Zalman. My bed is in the corner by the window on the opposite side of the room from the door. Zalman's bed is lined up with mine, closer to the door. Makoto's bed is just across the room from mine. Across from Zalman's bed is a desk.

"H-hey Em?"

I jumped a little as I heard Makoto's voice. I had thought he was asleep. It was too dark to see anything but his eyes and body, which was illuminated slightly by the light of the moon shining in from the window.

"I've g-got the t-t-tickle ag-gain." he whispered to me.

"The tickle" is kinda like Makoto's sixth sense. It's a feeling he gets before something big happens. Usually, the stronger "the tickle" is, the bigger the event. Last time, he predicted Abbot Kukule falling ill. Before that, he predicted Captain Marco going on vacation.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to prepare ourselves for whatever big event is about to happen." I stated as I slipped under the sheets.

"N-no... It's d-different this t-time. I-it's an e-e-extremel-ly ssssssstrong f-feeling." he whispered to me. He sounded extremely serious and a little distressed, which was reflected in his stutter.

"... How strong?" I asked, a little unsure due to his seriousness.

"... Like everything in our life is about to change."

I was startled by two things. For one, his voice was completely devoid of emotion. Second, he said it without stuttering.

"Um... When did this tickle start?" I asked.

"Um... I-it's b-been going on f-f-for about th-th-three days." his voice sounded a little less serious now... In fact, he sounded a little worried.

"Well... That certainly is the longest you've ever had the tickle. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens." I shrugged, though I was still a little uneasy.

"Em... I-if anything h-h-happens to e-either of us, I w-want you to know that I v-value our f-friendship, and that I ap-p-precia-ate everyth-th-thing that you've d-done for me."

I smiled warmly at him. "Same here, Mako. I value our friendship. I don't know how I'd've survived this place had I not met you so soon after coming here."

"... G-good night, E-Emily." he said as he laid down and covered himself with the bed sheets.

"Good night, Makoto." I said warmly, also laying down and pulling the sheets over myself.

End Chapter 1


	3. Chapter 2: A Flame Flickers Out

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and all it's characters are owned by Square Enix, not me. However, I _do_ own all of the many original characters that appear in this fic. Those characters may not be used without my permission.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

The Greatest Templar

By Cyberweasel89

Chapter 2

A Flame Flickers Out

Emily's Narrations

There was a loud trumpet being blown, causing me to shoot up in bed.

"Makoto! Zalman! Wake up! That's the emergency horn!" I said urgently yelled to my two roommates, who both sat up and rubbed their eyes.

"Oh, m-man. We b-better g-g-get dressed!" Makoto abruptly stated, jumping from bed in his heart-printed boxers. Zalman also stepped out of bed, though he was completely in the nude. Luckily, the shadows concealed Zalman below the belt. I was wearing nothing but a pair of bloomers and a modest bustier made of silk.

"No time! You guys get dressed! I'll rush on ahead!"

Casting the thought of my current state of undress aside, I rushed out into the halls, the door to my room slamming on the nearby wall from the force that I kicked it open.

As soon as I got out of my room, I found other Templars, many of which in their knickers, rushing downstairs. I rushed downstairs with the rest of them.

Upon getting to the fountain, I stopped to ask a Templar what was going on.

"What the hell is going on around here?! Is there an emergency?!" I yelled to him.

"There's an invader! A man in a suit of armor is invading the Abbey. He's already wounded a friar, a priest, and three Templars! We completely didn't see it coming! We weren't prepared!" He yelled to me, extreme urgency in his voice.

"Where's the intruder at?" I asked, just as urgently.

"He's just in the main worship hall, with the statue of the Goddess!" The Templar yelled over the roar of the people running around.

"I'm on it!"

And I rushed forward to the main worship hall.

Upon reaching said hall, I found a large group of Templars surrounding a man in armour. Five Templars were lying on the ground around the man. The armor was bulky, with a red feather sticking out of the helmet. I couldn't see any part of his body because of the armor. He had a large shield that easily blocked nearly all of his body, as well as a standard issue soldier's sword. Oddly enough, he had two scabbards strapped to his waist, one currently occupied with a sword that he wasn't using, the other empty. He also had a tattered dark blue cape on over the armour, dropping down to the ground from his shoulders. The cape didn't drape over his shoulder to cover his front. It just covered his back, with a collar above the neckline.

"Why isn't anyone charging at him?" I asked one of the Templars standing by.

"He's taken down five templars already!"

"Ugh. Whatever. I'm going in!"

I charged in with my bastard sword, bringing a downward slash upon the armored man. Before I knew it, his shield was up, blocking my blade. And just as quickly, his sword was heading towards me. Everything seemed to slow down, and I pulled my sword back and rolled to the side, dodging his blade. I ended the roll with a crouching position, ready to sprint forward. The armoured man seemed to be staring at me.

"You... How did you dodge my blade?" he asked calmly. His voice had an echo to it. Probably because he was wearing that armour.

"Duh! I rolled to the side!"

"Hmm... Then you have the focus... Very well. But I doubt you can pull off that trick twice. Unlike your fellow Templars, you are too troublesome to keep alive. I am afraid I shall have to kill you now. En guarde."

He began slowly walking towards me, and I rose to hold my sword out in front of me. Slowly he marched forward, and raised his sword high into the air. I readied myself to block the blow, and just as he readied his blade above his head... His helmet flew off.

I looked to see the helmet roll across the ground, an arrow stuck in it. I turned my head to see Makoto standing there, bow at the ready.

"Makoto!" I called, overjoyed to see him here.

"A-at your ssssssservice!" he smiled, bow still held at the ready.

There were a few gasps from the Templars, and I turned to see that... there was no one inside the armor. The armor was completely empty. I cautiously approached the empty suit of armor, when it suddenly lashed out at me with its blade. I jumped to dodge the low sweep.

"What the hell?! This armor's movin' on its own!" I yelled in surprise.

"Hm hm..." the armor chuckled. "I see you have found me out. I am not a human. I am a monster."

"Restless Armour, a monster of the Material Family. The angry soul of a dead swordsman inhabiting an empty suit of armour. Armour and shield made of iron, carries a standard soldier's sword. Though this Restless Armour appears to be wearing a tattered Dark Cape like a Phantom Fencer. This one also appears to have an extra sword at its waist.

We all turned to see Zalman standing there, the usual indifferent expression on his face.

"Hm hm hm..." the headless armour chuckled. "I see you know what I am. I am the Hollow Knight, a monster infamous in many parts."

"Yer 'ere to kill the Abbot, ain't ya?!" a Templar asked.

"My intentions are none of your concern. However, I must now kill you all."

"Not if we can stop you!"

I looked to see Galahad standing there with his whip. He struck the monster with a powerful crack of the long, thin weapon. Makoto fired an arrow, striking it in the arm. Next, Brogan ran up and bashed it on the shoulder with his hammer, leaving a good dent. To finish up, I rushed at it and slashed it across the chest, my blade on fire from the Flame Slash technique that Gerik taught me.

As the monster toppled forward, it seemed to be laughing.

"Hh hm hm... Fools. While you may have given me quite a good beating, I have succeeded in my mission.

"Your mission? What the hell does that mean?" I yelled at it.

A friar rushed in, out of breath.

"Come quick! The Abbot is under attack! Captain Marco and Gerik are the only ones there to protect him!" the friar gasped out, leaning over and panting.

I needed not a moments notice. I rushed past all the Templars, running as fast as my legs could carry me to Abbot Kukule's residence. I soon found Makoto rushing by my side. He turned to me, and I turned to him, and we both smiled.

Charging, we burst into the abbot's residence, and I immediately saw the assassin. It was someone in a long, flowing brown cloak, a hood obscuring anything from view. But the cloaked man seemed to have very, and I mean VERY, and I mean impossibly, broad shoulders. He was standing in front of Gerik, who held his blade before him. The Abbot was standing behind Gerik, and to the side of the Abbot was Captain Marco, sitting on the ground against the wall and holding his stomach in pain. A curved blade was sticking out of the man's right sleeve, while a bow stuck out of the sleeve on the left hand. A quiver full of arrows was strapped to the man's back. Turning, it fired an arrow. I braced myself, but only saw Makoto fall to the ground next to me, the arrow in his shoulder. I turned back to the assassin to see Gerik rushing forward with his blade. He seemed a bit beat up, like he'd been fighting a while. Bringing his blade down, the assassin stepped backwards with an unnatural-looking hop, dodging the blade. It countered by... slashing Gerik in the shoulder. I saw a spray of blood, and his arm, his sword arm, fall to the ground, still clutching the sword. Next thing I knew, an arrow was in Gerik's chest, and with a solid kick from the unseen leg of the assassin, Gerik went flying into a bookcase, books burying him.

"My mentor... my friend..." I gasped.

"Hm hm hm. Now nothing can stop me from reaching my goa-." The assassin was interrupted by something, but I don't know what. What happened next is a complete blank to me.

End Emily's narrations. Begin third-person narrations.

"Hm hm hm. Now nothing can stop me from reaching my goa-"

The assassin whipped around upon hearing some extremely heavy breathing. He saw a girl standing there, fists clenched, a bastard sword in one clenched hand, teeth clenched, trembling, and breathing in rough, heavy breaths. Her fists clenched harder, and a burst of power surged from her.

"What's this? What is this energy?"

A larger burst of power.

"Her... Her power level is rising by leaps and bounds!" the assassin stepped back.

An even larger burst of power.

"Her reading has gone from twenty to fifty! What is this power?!"

A final gigantic burst of power, and Emily stood there, fists clenched, teeth clenched, and glowing purple, purple energy surging upwards around her.

"Her reading has gone from fifty to one-hundred! This power... She's in Hypertension! I have to end this!"

Reaching his bow back to his quiver, he loaded an arrow into it, and fired it at Emily. The girl easily cut the arrow in two with a swing of her blade. Rushing forward, screaming like a banshee and with a feral look in her eyes, she jumped high above the assassin, her blade held high above her.

Thinking quick, the assassin reached into his cloak and pulled out a strange, feathered wing. Tossing it on the ground, he was surrounded by an orange light.

When Emily's blade hit the ground, there was a great rumbling and a great cloud of dust. The entire Abbey shook with a mighty tremor. When the dust cleared, the tip of Emily's sword was resting in a crater taking up most of the floor space, the blade still in her hand. She was breathing heavily, then abruptly stopped. Her blade fell from her grip as she collapsed to her knees, then fell forward, unconscious.

End Chapter 2


End file.
